America's Best Newspaper Writing : A Collection of ASNE Prizewinners

“Without hesitation, I can say that America’s Best is a fine melding of practical how-to writing advice with excellent examples. A solid reader of great works created by working journalists.”

--Bill Berry, University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point

Bedford/St. Martin's Web Site, February, 2001

36 award-winning stories from 30 world-class journalists. Prize-winners from the prestigious American Society of Newspaper Editors competition include stories from such writers as Rick Bragg, Richard Ben Cramer, Donna Britt, and Mitch Albom. Offering the most current collection of excellent news stories available, this reader gives students the models they need to strengthen their own writing

A book by teachers at the Poynter Institute. Roy Peter Clark and Christopher Scanlan are working journalists and teachers at the Poynter Institute, a world-renowned journalism school that gives writing, reporting, and editing seminars to thousands of media professionals each year. Both have helped in developing the American Society of Newspaper Editors annual Distinguished Writing Awards competition, and have chosen the stories in this book, making a collection that is truly the ''best-of-the-best.''

Excellent models of story types. The 36 stories are organized into 7 parts, focusing students on the kinds of stories they will first write as working journalists. Starting with deadline reporting and local beats and moving through opinion and feature writing, the chapter structure helps students make connections and understand how great writers create specific kinds of stories.

A greater emphasis on local reporting than any other book. Award-winning examples of local reporting -- beats, obituaries, crime and the courts, business reporting, and deadline writing -- all the kinds of news stories students will write when they first enter the profession.

8 ''classic'' stories that every journalism student should read. Chosen by the editors, these classics include Richard Wright on racial issues in 1935 Chicago, Dorothy Thompson on Orson Welles's War of the Worlds radio broadcast, Ernie Pyle's ''The Death of Captain Henry Waskow,'' Red Smith's ''The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff,'' and a moving ''About New York'' column by Meyer Berger. These works provide models for the 7 types of stories covered in the book.

''On Reading'' selections help students approach the work of each writer. Preceding the work of each writer, ''On Reading'' headnotes give biographical information about the writer and highlight specific writing techniques found in the story.

Introduction to key reporting and writing skills. Chapter 9, ''The Craft of Writing Great Stories,'' gives better treatment than any other comparable collection and covers the basics of writing news stories, writing with style, making hard facts easy reading, and the ethics of non-fiction writing.

1. Deadline Writing

Richard Ben Cramer, Report from the Mideast: Shiva for a Child Slain in a Palestinian Raid
Report from the Mideast: A Walk through No-Man's Land
Mark Fritz, Only Human Wreckage Is Left in Karubamba
Francis X. Clines, In Belfast, Death, Too, Is Diminished by Death
Sam Stanton, After Life of Violence Harris Goes Peacefully
Rick Bragg, In Shock, Loathing, Denial: ''This Doesn't Happen Here''

2. Local Reporting and Beats

Saul Pett, The Folks in Asheville--Turned Off and Tuned Out
Ken Fuson, Weather Brite + Weather Map
Rick Bragg, All She Has, $150,000, Is Going to a University
Thomas Boswell, Losing It: Careers Fall Like Autumn Leaves
Mitch Albom, Mackenzie Football Star Another Gunplay Victim
Jonathan Bor, It Fluttered and Became Bruce Murray's Heart

3. Obituaries

Jim Nicholson, Tastykake Retiree Marie Byrne
John Ciavardone,Veteran Blinded During WWII
Edward E. ‘Ace' Clark, Ice and Coal Dealer
Tom Shales, Ray Bolger, the Immortal Scarecrow
Rita Hayworth: The Glory of a Goddess
David Von Drehle, Men of Steel Are Melting with Age

4. Crime and Courts

Linnette Myers, Humanity on Trial
Tom French, from A Cry in the Night: Part 1
Anne Hull, Metal to Bone: Day 1: Click

5. Business Reporting and Explanatory Journalism

Bill Blundell, The Life of a Cowboy: Drudgery and Danger
Peter Rinearson, Designing the 757
Michael Gartner, Property Tax Exemptions: Legal but Terribly Unfair

6. Opinion and Persuasion

Donna Britt, A One-Word Assault on Women
John Fensterwald, A Teacher Still
Richard Aregood, Tugs at the Curtain but the Wizard's Lips Remain Frozen
Murray Kempton, If I Leave You, Baby, Count the Days I'm Gone
A Woman Burned while Police Had Their Danish

7. Features and Profiles

Greta Tilley, A Suicide at Age 16
Blaine Harden, Life, Death, and Corruption on an African Mainstream
Cynthia Gorney, Dr. Seuss: Wild Orchestrator of Plausible Nonsense for Kids
Saul Pett, New York Mayor Ed Koch
Diana Griego Erwin, His Dreams Belong to the Next Generation
An Old Flame Still Burns after 50 Years
David Finkel, For Lerro, Skyway Nightmare Never Ends

8. Classics

Richard Wright, Joe Louis Uncovers Dynamite
Red Smith, Miracle at Coogan's Bluff
Ernie Pyle, The Death of Captain Henry Waskow
Harold A. Littledale, Prisoners with Midnight in Their Hearts
Marvel Cooke, The Bronx Slave Market
Dorothy Thompson, Mr. Welles and Mass Delusion
Eugene Patterson, A Flower for the Graves
Meyer Berger, Meyer Berger's New York, January 23, 1953

9. The Craft of Writing Great Stories

The Inverted Pyramid
The Process of Gathering Material
Generating Story Ideas
Collecting Information

The Process of Writing the Story
Selecting the Best Material
Creating a Plan for the Story
Finding a Focus in the Lead
Creating a Draft
Revising and Clarifying
The Hourglass Structure
The Language of Journalism
The Language of Journalism Is Concrete and Specific
The Language of Journalism Is Active
The Language of Journalism Makes Meaning Early
The Language of Journalism Is Democratic
The Language of Journalism Has a Voice
The Language of Journalism Strives for Clarity
Writing to Inform, Writing to Engage
Pointing You There, Putting You There
Writing With ''Gold Coins''
Making Hard Facts Easy Reading
Conceptual Tools
Envision a General Audience
Tell It to a Friend
Look for the Human Side
Find the Microcosm
Develop a Chronology
Consider the Impact
Eliminate Unnecessary Information
Cool Off
Read It Aloud
Writerly Tools
Slow the Pace of Information
Introduce New or Difficult Elements One at a Time
Recognize the Value of Repetition
Don't Clutter Leads
Use Simple Sentences
Remember that Numbers Can Be Numbing
Think Graphics
Translate Jargon
Announce Difficult Concepts
Compile Lists
The Ethics of Non-Fiction Writing
Do Not Add. Do Not Deceive
Do Not Add
Do Not Deceive
Four Supporting Strategies
Be Unobtrusive
Make Sure that Stories Ring True
Make Sure that Stories Check Out
Write with Humility
Reporting the World
Literary Devices in Non-Fiction Writing

Appendices